OUGD502 - Extra Strong Work Experience

Over the summer break, I organised myself 2 days work experience with Bristol based digital creative agency Extra Strong. It was an aim of mine in preparation for second year as I wanted to have more understanding of working in the industry.

I emailed Ben Hamilton, founder of Extra Strong, showing him interest in their company and I arranged to meet him in their studio for a chat. I took some work from first year with me so that he could physically see what I had created, instead of just on a screen. Showing Ben my work was intimidating because I was aware that the outcomes weren't to an industry standard. However, I explained each project outcome and my concept and the feedback was positive.

I met other members of the studio which also had a screen printers downstairs, introducing myself and being enthusiastic about the work and environment. Ben studied Graphic Design at Bath Spa University which meant he had an understanding of where I am in my studies so far.

Studio:

After approaching Ben and speaking to him, he offered me two days work experience with him. During those two days I got to experience set briefs in the industry. I also got to work with a junior designer on some small briefs.

Classic Carpets

Classic Carpets are a Bristol based carpet company who asked ExtraStrong to create a 'price match' sign. I was given 2 hours to produce some concepts/sketches where me, the junior designer and Russell (Co Founder) would have a crit/discussion about the concepts we created so that we could produce some final concepts. The briefing was short and concise so I made sure I noted down everything the client wanted, as well as looking at their website to get a feel for their tone of voice.

I sketched about possible ideas using the theme of carpets and then took them into InDesign:

Used influence from my experience at B&Q for the typeface because it's bold and easily legible - Univers Condensed

Thought about the context of a carpet store and based the designs on the layering/roles of carpet found in the store:

All three of these designs, along with the junior designer's, were put into a presentation to send to the client.

Ben also talked me through a project that the junior designer had created for a business event that required customised coasters, including gloss foiling. The coasters were being sent to the printers using lithoprinting which meant each colour had to be picked from Pantone colours. He demonstrated industry standard preparation for printing, separating the colours into layers.



During the time I spent at the studio I was able to see what a brief from a client looked like. Due to contracts I cant specify the brief, however I was surprised by how other design studios were fighting for the same job. This shows how competitive the industry is. To overcome this, Ben sends the studio propositions of interest with their portfolio of which I sketched out some possible solutions. These solutions were then photographed, edit and then placed in the presentation.

OUGD502 - CRACK Magazine

CRACK is a free magazine designed and published in Bristol. Managing director, Jake Applebee graduated from a graphics course and set out to produce something he could physically hold, instead of an online resource. 7 years on, print is still their passion. CRACK hosts an independent platform for contemporary culture such as music, art, film, theatre and fashion, making it widely accessible for a range of ages, predominantly young adults. It’s available in the foyers of public spaces such as pubs, cafes, restaurants and shops and also in those of cultural venues such as galleries, libraries and cinemas.

The magazine is in the form of a newspaper, making it cheaper to produce. The wide pages and neutral tones from the newspaper add to the aesthetics typically found in all newspapers, however the content is contemporary which is why I find the magazine's content and graphic production really inspiring. The content is targeted to a young, independent audience which comes through in the contemporary graphics. The subjects that the publication covers are relevant and inform the audience about events that they would miss without the magazine covering it. 

I always try and get each issue when I'm in Bristol because of it's relevant content to me. This is an organisation that I can aspire to work for because I like their contemporary approach to graphic design and the content is of my interest. 

Newspaper layout is exciting when the content and composition is contemporary and unique because people are used to serious and formal newspaper layouts and content. The thin, off white stock adds to the unique characteristics of a newspaper and also saturates the images. 

Email them:
Potential questions:

• Getting started after uni
• Defying your interests
• Collaboration

OUGD502 - PPP2

During this PPP module, I aim to identify which area of graphic design that I want to focus on as I progress through my degree. To achieve this I will document my progress and development as a creative through my blog and continue to engage with the creative world. Graphic design is an ever changing industry so I aim to identify areas of my practice that I enjoy. Reflecting on my experiences during the first year, I have identified areas of my practice that I struggled with so that I can begin to dissect which areas of graphic design that I need to work on during this year and also areas of design that I want to take further.

My outcome for last years PPP module was a set of 5 bespoke notebooks with my details letterpressed inside. This was to reflect my passion for bookbinding and hands on style of work that I can send to design studios as a unique business card. Reflecting on this, the production methods that I used were all analogue and to a good standard however I still need to identify relevant studios to send my publication to.

I need to take myself out of my comfort zone in order to improve, making mistakes is part of the research/learning process, these are areas that I need to work on this year:

Communication

Last year I didn't feel comfortable with my communication skills, for example presenting my work at the front of the class, this is a skill I'll need to develop if I want to pitch concepts to clients. A confident and relaxed pitch will make the audience feel more comfortable and ultimately listen to what I have to say. To overcome this I aim to prepare and practice my presentation so that I'm more confident in what I'm saying. Attending events such as the LAW and NEST magazine launch introduced me to professional creatives, however I didn't have the confidence to approach them because I didn't know what would be appropriate to say. Good communication skills are important for becoming a confident designer as networking with other creatives is important for exposure and briefs.

Digital 

I aim to improve my understanding of the Adobe creative software because it is industry standard software. To achieve this I will attend all the digital workshops and take advantage of the IT technicians because I won't get this opportunity again.

Objective

I need to make more objective decisions so that my outcome is appropriate for its target audience and commercial use. I have made design decisions in the past that don't relate to my concept so the outcome wasn't cohesive. My concepts are often subjective so I need to consider form follows function in order to make them more objective.

Research

Broad and thorough research helps to decide on a well considered concept, however I am often still researching late in the project which isn't relevant to my concept. Diverse research is important, however it must be relevant otherwise the influences can confuse the concept.

Overcomplicating 

I have a tendency to overcomplicate and overwork concepts until they are no longer recognisable. I think this links to my research technique as I take in too many influences. To overcome this, I will need to be more decisive so that I don't waste time and destroy a good concept.

Areas of design that I have enjoyed and would consider taking into level 6:

Editorial Design

Creating and exploring the form and function of a publication has always intrigued me and I have enjoyed learning the techniques and processes used to produce them. Using bespoke and unique adaptations to publications is exciting, however there are a lot of considerations to think about. Editorial designers such as Brighton based Stanley James Press:

'We hand bind a lot of books produced in shorter runs. Binding books in this way allows us to create more unusual and complicated structures, including pop ups and paper mechanics. We've also produced other paper products such as swing tags and limited edition record sleeves.' - I like how Stanley James Press are adapting and manipulating design for print to produce unique products.

Print - Digital/Traditional

This is an area of practice that I am interested in because I enjoy organising image and text as well as the production methods of the book. Design for print offers more finishes such as foiling and embossing, adding to aesthetics. As a designer, I would much rather have an outcome that I could physically hold, touch and smell, rather than see it behind a screen. In this modern age, design for screen is important because that's how a lot of designers get exposure so it's important all print media is photographed to a high, professional standard. I enjoy using traditional printing methods such as letterpress, monoprint, lino and screen printing because it makes print media bespoke and also provides opportunity to create texture and tactility. Processes such as screen print make reproducing prints very cheap.

Stop-Motion

A useful and simple method of moving image using a camera and paper - This would provide lots of opportunity for digital sources such as a blog or website. I have experience with the process, however I want to put it into a graphics context - There is potential to collaborate with an animator.

Art

My interest in art is why I am on this course. I came to Leeds from an art and design diploma which offered me a range of processes and techniques. I would like to collaborate with artists and designers to produce publications or posters, etc. The-Art-Form is a magazine that showcases work from artists, providing information on their practice and personal lives. This is something I aspire to do.